In the fabrication of microelectronic devices on semiconductor substrates, the semiconductor substrate is handled on its edge and backside numerous times during the manufacturing process. Such handling can cause contaminants to adhere to the backside of the substrate and travel between processing components, for example, from chamber to chamber, FOUP (front opening unified pod) to FOUP, or process tool to process tool along with the substrate, or between different substrates, undesirably increasing tool downtime for maintenance to remove the contaminants. These contaminants can also migrate to the front side of the substrate, resulting in reduced device performance and/or yield loss.
Typical solutions to this problem have been to reduce the backside particle generation by reducing a contact area between the substrate and substrate transferring/handling devices. However, while this solution mitigates particle generation, the inventors have observed that large numbers of particles are still generated even with the smallest contact areas contemplated.
As such, the inventors have provided embodiments of improved apparatus for supporting and handling a substrate with reduced particle generation.